Your week in political quotes

Your week in political quotes

(LIN) - Another presidential primary, another win for national frontrunner and former Gov . Mitt Romney, R-Mass. Catch what he and others said in your week in political quotes.

"Our president looks across America and says it could be worse. It could be worse? That's not what it means to be an American. What defines us as Americans is we know it will be better -- and it must be better."--Romney, speaking in New Hampshire after his projected primary win.

"I just wonder whether they're totally ignorant of economics or whether they're willing to demagogue just with the hopes of getting a vote or two."--2012 presidential candidate and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, chastising fellow candidates including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas. Both men were critical of Romney's venture capitalist firm that acquired, slimmed down and then spun off existing companies, often earning large profits in the process.

“I say third place is a ticket to ride , ladies and gentlemen! Hello, South Carolina!” --2012 presidential candidate and former Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-Utah, after his third place finish in the New Hampshire primary.

"A heinous act…We will continue our (nuclear) path without any doubt…Our path is irreversible."--Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, in a statement after two assailants on a motorcycle attached magnetic bombs to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and another person.

"The Iranian regime has a history of falsely accusing people of being spies, of eliciting forced confessions and of holding innocent Americans for political reasons."--White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, as the White House rejected Iran's charge that a young Iranian-American man used a family trip to Iran as cover for espionage.

"We condemn this apparent desecration of the dead as a violation of our nation's military regulations and of international laws of war prohibiting such disgusting and immoral actions."--The Council on Islamic-American Relations, in a letter faxed to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, condemning a video depicting what appears to be four U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters.

"We will not be lenient with those who work with outsiders against the country. Those who stand in the middle are traitors. There is no alternative."--Syrian President Bashar Assad, vowing to use an "iron hand" to crush what he called the terrorists and saboteurs behind Syria's 10-month-old uprising in which thousands of people have been killed.

"All we are asking for, what the government is asking for, is a few channels where ... they are not going to hear the S-word, the F-word, they are not going to see nudity."--Chief Justice John Roberts, as the Supreme Court debated whether policing curse words and nudity on broadcast television makes sense in the cable era.

"No one in my administration has had to make more important decisions more quickly than Bill. And that's why I think this decision was difficult for me."--President Barack Obama, after announcing Monday that chief of staff William Daley was quitting and heading home, capping a short and rocky tenure that had been expected to last until Election Day.

"The pardons were intended to allow them to find gainful employment or acquire professional licenses as well as hunt and vote. My decision about clemency was based upon the recommendation of the Parole Board in more than 90 percent of the cases." --Outgoing Gov. Haley Barbour, R-Miss., who pardoned 21 inmates as one of his last actions as governor.

"It's unfortunate Gov. Barbour didn't read the constitution."--Attorney General Jim Hood, D-Miss., hinting Barbour may have violated the state’s constitution by pardoning inmates who failed to give sufficient public notice that they were seeking to have their records cleared.

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